383, Lot: 651. Estimate $100. Sold for $75. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FRANCE, Provincial. Normandie (duché). Henri I Beauclerc. 1106-1135. AR Denier (20mm, 0.62 g, 1h). Rouen mint. Struck circa 1108-1130. +N[ORMΛN]NΛ, short cross pattée; pellet in each quarter / Cross pattée with open center; top arm forming small cross pattée; pellets in upper quarters, annulets in lower. Dumas Group C, pl. XX, 17 = Luneau 27; Legros 397; Poey d'Avant -; Boudeau -; Roberts 4487. VF, toned, usual crude strike.

The most reliable analysis of the difficult early Norman coinage is that of F. Dumas ("Les monnaies normandes (Xe-XIIe siècles)," RN 1979), with an update conducted by J.C. Moesgaard ("Monnaies normandes dans les régions baltiques à l'époque Viking," RN 161 [2005]). Very few of this type exist, with only one found in a provenanced hoard (Dumas 66 = Moesgaard 83), which had a deposit date circa 1125, based on other the coins present. In addition to this hoard data, the style and types clearly placed the issue in Dumas' group C, which the authors dated to circa 1075-1130. Legros noted the strong similarity of the obverse design to a royal obol from the Senlis mint in the name of a king Louis (Duplessy 152 = Lafaurie 158 = Ciani 113). Ciani initially attributed the obol to Louis VI, but Lafaurie latter reattibuted it to Louis VII, which was echoed by Duplessy. Nonetheless, there is a total lack of firm evidence for attributing the obol to either king, but if the design does link these two coin types, the hoard and stylistic evidence for the Norman coin would suggest the obol should be given to Louis VI. Although Dumas & Mosegaard's group C extends back to 1075, the hoard date and similarity of the type to the obol (which cannot be earlier than the beginning of Louis IV's reign in 1108) led Legros to attribute these coins to the reign of Henri I. In sum, the evidence suggests an issue date circa 1108-1130